Waitressing as a pre-req?
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Ever feel like this requirement was left out? Part RN part waitress? We don't have any techs, aids, or ward clerks on our unit. I will always get my laboring patient what she wants, I try to show the... Read More

Sep 26, '12

Agreed. Did you know that the first flight attendants were RNs back in the day? The airlines required that all flight attendants were also registered nurses? I learned this through a documentary. It's no surprise nurses feel like waitresses.

Sep 27, '12

I don't understand why the families of patients are entitled to snacks or food anyway. Of course, aside from the one attending the critically ill. Doesn't that drive costs up? Are these people being charged for all the strawberry ice cream they snack on while they visit the patient (ie: the cost added to the patient's bill)? Is it all just free to them? I understand feeding the patient what they need to regain their health. Ice cream and sugary popsicles hardly would make you heal, so I don't even know why they would be offered to the patient, let alone the family. In my opinion, the family should be directed towards the water fountain, vending machine or cafeteria if they are hungry. RNs have too many important things to do to get snacks. Couldn't you delegate the task to a CNA or volunteer for when they get around to it? It just doesn't seem to be a priority with short staffing and already too much to do.

When I was in the hospital, it was sugar sugar sugar on my meal tray. I had to have my hubs bring me in something healthy from home so I could even start recovering on track. I can understand the food not being the best, but for it to be so unhealthy that it is detrimental to the healing process? come on. If I would have eaten what was deemed "healthy" for my recovery, I would have become a diabetic !

Also, it was like pulling teeth to even get some sort of towel/cloth/bathing kit for proper hygine. After the 4th day of no help bathing and no one (from volunteer to cna to rn to charge nurse) even responding to my requests to just drop a pitcher of water off with a wash cloth so I could half assed scrub myself down for christ sakes I just had to talk to administration. An hour later I had everything I needed and a CNA helping me out. I had just come out of surgery and had tubes sticking out of me everywhere and couldn't leave my bed, which is why I couldn't find a damn supply closet to jack it from myself. I hated not being self sufficient, I hated that I had no one to advocate for me since my hubs was out of town, but I hated even more that I was asking for something basic to wash myself with after surgery to get all the muck off and I had to sit for 4 days in my filth. My point is, if staff is too busy to offer basic care to patients (I know it's not for lack of trying, we just don't have enough time or people), what the hell are we doing getting damn sodas for the visitors?

Sep 27, '12

Families of actively dying patients (in general, as there are exceptions) get offered whatever they want -- however, the groups I offer this to are the ones who aren't going to abuse it. Other visitors/families -- no. I direct them to the cafeteria. I will provide my patients with snacks/drinks, etc, but often they have to wait until I've done more urgent tasks and I make them aware of that. I can get you a b and c, but I have a few things I need to do first.

For more demanding personalities, I will still get them their items (within reason), but they will always have to wait. Not long, but just long enough to show that I do not jump at their snapped Fingers.

I am a big fan of setting boundaries, and I won't be ordered around! But a sweet elderly person who asks nicely for a cup of tea will most certainly receive it!